Police officer rides LA metro amid rising crime to ‘see what public experience’

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been spotted riding the metro to get a feeling of "what the public experiences" amid rising crimes on transport.

Recommendations to eliminate law enforcement from trains, replacing them with "transit ambassadors", have faced a lot of pushback in recent months as passengers share their negative experiences.

Sheriff Villanueva sparked a strong response after posting a photo of himself riding the metro, suggesting he wanted to "see first hand what the public experiences."

Many urged him to ride without "a badge and gun" if he wanted the same experience.

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